>> from baked right here in new york and very special birthday to you, my love. >> happy birthday, sweetheart. we have blown all of our birthdays in one month. >> the rest of the year, news. >> on that note, we send it to you, the other love of our life, carol costello. >> i noticed they didn't put candles on here. >> will you stop attacking her. >> happy birthday, michaela. you guys eat that cake. "newsroom" starts now. >> that is a good-looking cake. happening now in "newsroom" fire storm in yosemite. >> it was astounding to see the power of what i witnessed earlier. >> an american treasure threatened minute by minute. this morning, a brand-new perspective. >> that is unreal. >> go with international guard -- >> there's yosemite national

valley to the right. also, the red line. syria and a turning point. inspectors on the ground and america on alert. is the u.s. closer to launching an attack? plus, trump sued for fraud. claims that his university is pho phony, ripping off students. this morning the donald responds. and show stunner -- miley cyrus ain't hannah montana any more. twurking with robin thicke what just happened? you're live in the "cnn newsroom." ♪ >> good morning to you, i'm carol costello.

we begin with something quite serious. startling new outburst of in sy. a team of inspectors headed to a site of a chemical weapons attack. as the inspectors grew closer, sniper fire riddled one of their vehicles. the attack comes as the united states scrambles four warships to the region and waits for confirmation that syria president obama's so-called red line. frederick is in the capital of damascus to tell us more. hi, fred. >> yeah, carol, happened shortly after the u.n. inspectors left the hotel that they are staying at. what they have to do, they go into downtown damascus and government-held areas and then they have to cross the front line into rebel-held territory here on the outskirts of damascus. apparently, when their convoy was in the buffer zone between the government area and government-held area that's when

the sniper opened fire on their vehicle and disabling the lead of their convoy. that vehicle had to be brought back. now it appears the weapon inspectors are on the ground. on a side note, carol, both sides agreed that there would be a cease-fire going on as the weapon inspectors are on the ground. i want to show you what's going on behind me because still very heavy artillerary fire going on in the outskirts of damascus. that is the area, some of the area wheres these alleged chemical weapon attacks took place, carol. >> we don't know who is responsible for the sniper fire? >> we are not sure who is responsible for the sniper fire. the government blames "terrorists" but they refer to everyone who is a terrorist. so far not heard from -- this comes on a day when the mission was derailed on several accounts. before the weapons inspectors got going, a mortar that dropped very close to the hotel where they're staying, only four blocks away. a loud bang in central damascus

and held up the mission by maybe half an hour or so. now the weapon inspectors are on the ground and even after that sniper incident, they went back into the area and, apparently, are at work right now trying to take samples to, obviously, get to the bottom of what sort of chemical might have been used on wednesday in that attack and, also, what sort of delivery mechanism that might have been used to deliver it. artillery shell or something else that released those chemicals to help the international community, of course, get to the bottom of who might be behind all of this, carol. >> reporting live from damascus, syria, this morning. a fire the size of chicago now threatening yosemite national park. crews are taking to the air attacking one of the largest fires in california's history. check out this rare view from inside a firefighting plane. >> what kind of coverage are you looking for? >> let's keep it at a six. >> six it is. on a six.

>> wow. that's kind of creepy. >> wow. the california international guard is making retardant drops at the astonishing rate of 3,000 gallons in five seconds. the air war supporting boots on the ground against the rim fire, which has burned into the northwest section of yosemite. in the meantime, 200 miles west, the city of san francisco is keeping a close eye on this fire as it threatens the reservoir which supplies more than 2 million customers with water. nick valencia is in the gateway community of roseland, which is also threatened by this monster fire. good morning. >> carol, this massive fire has completely reshaped the lives and landscape of this community and day after day, it's been extremely difficult for these firefighters to keep the fire from growing. thousands of firefighters are battling the massive blaze raging out of control in california's sierra foothills. tens of thousands of acres scorched, none more iconic than

the yosemite national park. >> it was astounding to see the power of what i witnessed earlier. so, our main objectives right now, structure protection, just making sure that we keep everyone safe and we protect that park at all costs. >> bucket drops from these aircraft are a crucial way that firefighters are battling this blaze because of the terrain, parts of the fire are only accessible on the ground. >> reporter: firefighters like herald cook get little rest. >> how does this one compare to others you find? >> this is probably one of the worst ones i've been on, if not one of the more extreme fires i've been on since 2001 when i started. >> reporter: the fire threatened small communities including groveland just on the outskirts of the fireline. they wait for news about their vacation home. >> little nerve wracking when they came knocking on my door. this is new for us. i've never been in an area where they had bad fires. i just wanted to get out.

and then we came up here ye yesterday morning very thick coming through the valley and it cleared and i thought maybe we're still okay. we're hoping. >> reporter: more than 200 miles away, san francisco also impacted. power generators that feed cable cars and street lights threatened by the wildfire that shows no signs of stopping soon. and, carol, speaking of san francisco, two hydroelectric generators that feed into the city have been shut down. 85% of the city's municipal power and water come from this area where we're standing. famous for its pure drinking water, san francisco, the fire officials here are concerned that ash might get into that water. so far, though, it's worth noting that there has not been a disruption in power to the city. we understand that the city is getting it from somewhere else. carol? >> nick reporting live this morning. donald trump may know real estate but according to the attorney general of new york, trump doesn't know a thing about business school. >> if you're going to achieve

anything, you have to take action and action is what trump university is all about. but action is just a small part of trump university. trump university is about knowledge, about a lot of different things. above all, it's about how to become successful. >> it's about a lawsuit now. trump now faces a $40 million lawsuit accused of scamming students out of thousands of dollars. those students don't want to hear the words trump is famous for saying. >> you are a wise guy. there's no question about it. you know what, aarerin, you're fired. >> reaction from donald trump and new york's attorney general. good morning, alison. >> good morning, carol. this is quite the bombshell lawsuit filed on saturday and in a nutshell, accuses trump of fraud. the new york state attorney general eric schneider who said went to trump investment school was given empty promises.

suing trump for $40 million for what it said the school wrongly took from people who attended classes. part of what the lawsuit alleges bait and switch with trump using his well-known name to mislead perspective students. after being lure under to a 90-minute free seminar, they were told they wanted to get rich, they would have to pay $1,500 for another seminar, a three-day seminar. once there, then came the push for a year-long course at as much as $35,000. the lawsuit even said that instructors urged students during the breaks and during the seminars to go ahead and call their credit card companies to get their credit limit increased so they can sink more money into classes. both eric schneider and donald trump were on "new day" hitting back. >> we've had the sworn testimony of the former president of trump university who says, i mean, mr. trump claims he wrote the curricular and was very involved. he said it himself. the president said he insisted on seeing all the promotional

materials and he was the pitchman. he was in all the videos. people came to the seminars they were thinking to meet him and all they got was the chance to stand next to a life-size poster to make it appear as if they had met him. >> we have and had a great school. 98% approval. of course, he doesn't mention this. we gave a report card on ourself to every student who took the course. 98%. if you go to warden or harvard, they don't have a 98% approval rating. we had a 98% approval rating, chris. >> on "new day" throughout that interview he was fired up about it. he explained why he thinks, carol, that this lawsuit has no merit. carol? >> it's getting a little political, too. didn't he suggest that maybe, you know, as a democratic attorney general and donald trump as a well-known conservative, et cetera, et cetera. >> yeah. if you ask trump, especially when he was tweeting, you know,

he is pretty much saying that this is politically motivated. what his lawyer is saying that this is a cheap publicity stunt and what they're referring to is something that was actually reported in "new york times" that in the past, trump has given to schneiderman's campaign and trump is claiming that schneiderman asked for more money and trump said no and trump says that schneiderman is upset about that. but if you ask schneiderman about this, he would say different. he said this case is real and he also said, as far as where this case is going, whether there be a plea, he said, we're always open to discussion. carol? >> alison kosik reporting live from new york stock exchange. mtv music awards have been making controversy and sparking for three decades. this year, look at will smith and his family. the look on their faces. pure shock and awe. that is the actor and his family reacting to miley cyrus'

outrageous performance last night. yes, the 20-year-old artist took to the stage in a barely there outfit with dancing bears. little weird. but the lines between right and wrong, so wrong got blurred when robin thicke joined her on stage for some twurking and touching and, oh, take a look. ♪ ♪ >> nischelle turner is live in new york to talk a lot more about this. >> well, to borrow a line from robin thicke, lord have mercy. but i'm saying it a little different than he was saying. i think we just need to isolate jayden smith's face and it tells

the whole story. i don't understand. his face there is like, i just don't understand. and, you know, carol, i usually declare my life a twerk-free zone but i'm breaking the laws this morning. i'm putting this on miley cyrus. expect the unexpected. i thought i'd prep myself for whatever was going to happen, but it seems like no one today is ready for hannah montana to die and miley cyrus to twerk her way into my twitter timeline. #wow. ♪ a beloved boy band got a big welcome back. the hotly rumored 'n sync reunion became reality, finally, at sunday's mtv video music awards. >> might be excited about 'n sync? >> a little too excited. >> reporter: a night full of memorable moments for justin timberlake. the singer capped off a near 20-minute medley of his hits by

receiving the michael jackson video vanguard award from his pal jimmy fallon. the show famous for its surprises had a few more to offer. lady gaga returning to live performing after hip surgery in april opened the broadcast with four costume changes while performing "applause." and somehow seemed tame when compared to miley cyrus, while singing "blurred lines" with robin thicke she got r-rated with a foam finger. macklemore and ryan lewis were the top winners taking home best hip-hop video for "can't hold us." a marriage equality anthem. and not only making fun music, but kind of making socially conscious music, too, you know. >> at the same time. >> at the same time. >> reporter: taylor swift lit up twitter after appearing to other

an expletive when harry styles appeared on stage. the more than two-hour show wrapped with a live katy perry concert under the iconic brooklyn bridge. i do love that song. i do love roar. so, here's my take. gaga deserves applause after that performance just back from hip surgery. miley probably needs hip surgery after her twerk fest last night and not near enough 'n sync for me. i think i became an even bigger fan of macklemore and ryan lewis. >> one thing miley cyrus did accomplish, every parent in america now knows what twerking is. >> somebody tweeted me last night would alan thickee and

bil bi billy ray cyrus get their children. a former paula deen accuser doing an about faced saying she is a woman of compassion and kindness. plus, flash flood danger. interstates shut down and drivers stranded. where the storm will hit, next. "newsroom" back after a break.

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checking our top stories at 20 minutes past the hour. friday will be the last day on the job for the embattled san diego mayor bob filner. agreed to step down after reaching a deal with the city. follows allegations by 18 women that he sexually harassed them. city is moving ahead with plans to hold a special election to fill the last three years left in filner's term. a 12-year-old texas boy who was home alone when burglars broke in did the only thing he knew to do. he called 911 while hiding in a closet. all the time, he kept his calm. listen. >> just broke the window now.

>> just broke the window. what room are you in? >> is your house, stay on the phone with me. >> they're right there. >> they're inside the room right now. they're inside the bedroom where he's at. >> so the police officer outside the house? >> yeah, but stay inside, inside the closet because they're trying to find the bad guys. you're doing good, you're doing real good. you're doing perfect. your mom's going to be so proud of you. >> police eventually caught both burglars and the boy was not hurt. the southwest could see more flooding today. the threat from moisture still lingering from tropical storm ivo. while no one is looking forward to more flooding all the rain could help alleviate wildfire conditions in some areas. we're hearing from the slain baseball player gunned down by three teenagers more than a week ago. christopher lane of australia was shot and killed while jogging in an oklahoma community. his death sparked international outrage after police said his

killers were motivated by boardm. in 2010 lane told australian sports program why he had moved to the united states. >> so, basically studying and going to school at the moment while also playing on the baseball team. getting the best of both worlds right now. >> what an amazing opportunity. i can kind of hear the excitement in your voice. you are enjoying it and talking about it now, aren't you? >> i've been here for about two months now and enjoyed every minute of it. >> pretty accepting of australians over there, the americans? >> oh, yeah, they love us over here. >> on friday hundreds of people gathered in dunklin, oklahoma, where lane was killed to remember him. still to come, nearly four months after her murder conviction, jodi arias waits for her sentence. the first jury could not decide. now, arias is heading back to court. ♪

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jodi arias could find out today when a new jury will

decide her fate. a judge could set a date for the sentencing phase of her trial. back in may, as you well know, arias convicted of first degree murder in the death of her boyfriend travis alexander. ted is live in phoenix to tell us more. morning, ted. >> today's hearing is two fold. a date set for the retrial and also a chance that the judge could limit the television coverage during the retrial because the defense says the first time around it got out of hand. >> we the jury dooley empanelled and sworn upon ouraths do find the defendant, as to count one, first degree murder, guilty. >> reporter: after listening to four months of testimony, it took three days for the first jury to find jodi arias guilty of first degree murder. but they couldn't decide the death penalty or life in prison. >> no unanimous agreements. >> reporter: arizona law allows

prosecutors one more chance at death if a new jury still can't decide, arias will get life in prison and a judge will determine whether or not she's eligible for parole. the new trial won't be as long because the original guilty verdict still holds. >> this new jury isn't going to have nearly the information that the old jury did and the jury that made this decision saw every gruesome detail, saw all the lies, saw everything. >> reporter: finding new jurors who haven't heard of the arias case will be difficult given the intense media coverage of the first trial. finding witnesses that will stand up for jodi arias will also be tough. >> mr. martinez, are you angry at me? >> reporter: after she testified she was inundated with online abuse, including death threats. she has no intention of going through that, again. even though her testimony could make a difference. >> why don't you want to go back? >> threats to my life.

threats to my family. my family doesn't want me to go back. >> reporter: in the end, jodi arias could be her own best chance to avoid the death penalty. >> either way, i'm going to spend the rest of my life in prison. it will either be shortened or not. if it's shortened, the people who will hurt the most are my family. i'm asking you, please, please, don't do that to them. >> reporter: arias pled for her life during the penalty phase of her first trial. this after spending 18 days on the witness stand during the trial. what, if anything, she says to the new jury may determine if she lives or dies. and, carol, in the defense motion to limit the amount of television coverage they cite alyce saying she's not coming back because of the abuse she encountered. we should find out today which way the judge will rule. >> all right, ted rowlands reporting live from phoenix this morning. the chemical weapons crisis in syria.

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happening now in "newsroom" u.n. inspectors in syria under fire. america on edge. has syria crossed that red line? plus, a former paula deen accuser doing an about face.

she and the southern chef now praising each other. back to school in newtown every parents' worry, will my child be safe? you're live in "cnn newsroom." good morning, i'm carol costello. thanks for being with me. checking our top stories at 30 minutes past the hour. the syrian government blaming terrorists for firing on a vehicle carrying a team of u.n. some specters this morning. no one was hurt. the team is in syria to investigate last week's alleged chemical weapons attack. the opposition says more than 1,300 people were killed. the syrian government has denied any involvement. firefighters getting a b better handle on that massive wildfire. the word from the u.s. weather service. escorted area about the size of chicago. it's only 7% contained. watching the opening bell on "wall street" and weary

investors are watching the fed ringing the bell this morning executives with deutch bank. alison kosik at new york stock exchange. good morning, alison. >> a little nervous about the buzz word septaper and it has everything to do with jitters over the possibility that the fed could pull back on its massive stimulus pouring into the system. could be pulling back as early as next month. expect those worries, really, to start revving up over the next few weeks until the fed's actual meeting in the middle of september. as for today, looking like a pretty flat start to the day. investors are reading over a lackluster reading on manufacturing and really looking ahead to a busy week on the economic calendar, which includes a reading on gross domestic product, gdp, the best measure of economic growth here in the u.s. carol? >> alison kosik reporting live fraus th for us this morning. possible military action against syria. just minutes after this u.n.

team left to visit the site of a chemical weapons attack, sniper fire riddled one of the vehicles. no one was hurt, but the attack may add urgency. the u.s. has already scrambled four warships to the region. cnn's chris lawrence is live at the pentagon this morning. morning, chris. >> hey, good morning, carol. with the tone coming out of the white house certainly changed dramatically over the weekend. now, this morning we're getting new information from sources that goes a long way to explaining how the u.s. could go from demanding those u.n. inspectors get access to basically saying, it doesn't matter what they find. the bombs are falling, the accusations flying. now the pressure is on president obama to defend his red line on chemical weapons, which rebels claim killed more than 1,000 people in syria. >> we cannot sit still. we have to move in and we have to move in quickly. >> reporter: syrian forces

shelled the site of wednesday's attack so much, it corrupted any evidence the u.n. might find this week. a u.s. official tells cnn behind the scenes, multiple international sources have already collected evidence from that site. the official says the sources took tissue samples and other evidence shortly after the attack. and it was being analyzed in secure locations. that's why the white house tone changed so quickly from friday's get the inspectors in to sunday's it's too late to be credible. and it's why an administration official sounded so confident in saying there is little doubt at this point that a chemical weapon was used by the syrian regime against civilians. the president's newly updated options include cruise missiles

or jets firing from outside syrian air space. >> we are prepared to exercise whatever option, if he decides to employ one of those options. >> reporter: told that the white house and the president have not made a final decision yet. and sources telling us that these are very limited options that are being considered. and they're not looking at options that would involve trying to overthrow the assad regime or tdramatically change the situation on the ground. these would be options that would be options to deter any future physical attacks. >> chris lawrence reporting live. a right of passage for kids across the country heading back to school. in newtown, connecticut, the annual event is bitter sweet. we'll talk to a parent, after this. [ male announcer ] these heads belong to those who can't put life on hold because of a migraine. so they trust excedrin migraine to relieve pain fast. plus sensitivity to light,

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year is bringing a boost in school safety measures to many cities across the country, it is, of course, part of the response to the tragic shootings at sandy hook elementary school in newtown which left 26 people dead, including 20 young students. for parent in this close knit town, including my next guest, this back to school season brings a mixture of emotions. sally mcdonald is on the phone with me now. good morning, sally. >> good morning. >> so, your kids are going to go back to school tomorrow. did you have a special talk with them? >> well, honestly, i think a lot of how children are better able to cope with this comes to how your parents handle it and, so, you don't say, are you nervous about it? you say are you excited about going back to school and, you know, if anything, they are more interested in seeing their friends. what are they going to wear to that first day of school. meeting new teachers. in many ways a sense of routine helps them. >> we always hear children are

so resilient, maybe that's true. >> my children were 12 and 14 when the tragedy of 12/14 occurred. so, they're more cognizant of what happened on that day. whereas for the younger children, they are more elastic. so, i think it's a little easier for them to have different diversions and stuff to help them cope. >> we're going to take newtown out of the equation, other towns in connecticut. the schools in other towns in connecticut are using armed guards to buzzer system to mental health resources for student. have you heard about specific safety measures in newtown? >> a few e-mails going around from our intern superintendent for the newtown schools and meetings scheduled and being very transparent. they're going to have meetings to discuss it. but i haven't heard anything specific and, frankly, i don't know that they would want procedures and things to be discussed on television. but i know that they are, they are definitely doing everything

they can between the local officials and the schools to make sure that the schools are safe. >> so, school security is beefed up in parts of the country. some gun laws have been changed in parts of the country. but do you think that we as a nation have now sort of like tried to move beyond newtown? is it in our past or do you think that, i don't know, people are still talking about it in an important way? >> i think one of the mantras and bumper stickers around town is that "we are newtown." if it can happen here, it can happen everywhere. we need to change our culture, our society the way that we have, you know, just violence as part of our everyday lives. i was thinking the other day, someone said something and i said, i really dodged a bullet with that and, wow, every now i catch my selself saying things that. but those are like parts of our culture that we say things like

that. i don't think we should ever get past this. i think we need to make some serious changes in how we handle gun violence and gun responsibility and mental health issues, mostly. i think more than anything else. >> sally mcdonald, thank you so much for being with me this morning. >> you're welcome. still ahead in "newsroom" the empire has crumbled for paula dean, but now her legal worries are completely over. she and her accusers actually kissed and made up, or so it seems. we'll talk about that, next. you have time to shop for car insurance today? yeah. i heard about progressive's "name your price" tool? i guess you can tell them how much you want to pay and it gives you a range of options to choose from. huh? i'm looking at it right now. oh, yeah? yeah. what's the... guest room situation?

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wikileaks founder julian assange is back in the spotlight, this time not for leaking u.s. intelligence secrets. ♪ >> yeah. the mullet surprised us, too. that's assange aspearing in a spoof video to promote australian senate campaign. he is lip syncing to "you're the voice." the lyrics include things like we have to make things leak and we're all wiretapped now and all being fed lies. we'll tell you if this works with the voters in australia.

paula deen and the woman who accused her of using n-word. both sides have agreed to drop the lawsuit without any award of costs or fees to any party. this is the same lawsuit that accused deen of creating a sexist, racist environment for employees. the same lawsuit that prompted an apology for using the n-word. >> i is what and i'm not changing. >> well, she doesn't have to now because her one-time accuser lisa jackson now says that the paula deen i have known for eight years is a woman of compassion and kindness and will not never tolerate discremation or racism of any kind towards anyone. she worked for more than five years and we appreciate her service. so, i guess it's over. of course, deen has lost most of her empire and the question is now, can she get it back or

should she have ever lost it in the first place? joining us to talk about this peter shankman and paul callan, cnn legal analyst. welcome to both of you. paul, i want to start with you. both parties agreed to throw this lawsuit out. no money awarded anywhere and now the two are friends. that just seems odd. >> it does seem odd. it is odd that the suit was filed in the first place since there was no legal basis for it. she's not an african-american and claiming she was offended y discrimination. but that on the side, once it was filed. this settlement agreement. i was looking at it carefully, carol. it says no payments of costs or fees. now, it didn't say anything about other money that might be paid on the side. costs and fees mean to lawyers the cost of transcripts and court appearances and filing fees and no attorneys' fees.

but did the plaintiff get money and there's a secrecy agreement. i don't know. but it makes me wonder. >> so, paula deen might have paid her off to make the lawsuit go away? >> well, it's been known to happen in civil litigation. you can negotiate a side deal and you can seal it and have a confidentiality order. now, i'm not saying that's happened here, but whenever i see somebody this warm and friendly to somebody that they have sued publicly, it makes me a little suspicious, carol. >> so bizarre. okay, so, peter, so the lawsuit has been thrown out, and paula deen is the most compassionate person i have ever known in my whole life but paula deen has lost a lot because of lisa jackson. >> she has. that's another reason why i think it's very possible that this was a side deal. you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube. she's come out, she's admitted to saying the words that no one

likes to hear. her reputation has taken an incredible hit. the only thing she can really do right now is go away for a while, couple of years. do some charity work, do some volunteer work or soup kitchen or something like that. she can come back. she won't be at full strength. she will never get all her advertisers back. but she can come back in a couple years and make a name for herself barring any further cries from anyone else that we haven't heard from yet. the problem with these cases an open invitation for anyone who ever had a problem with you to come back out. if she goes away for a bit. she needs to really go away. go away like eliot spitzer went away, she needs to go away for a while. >> i'm sure she would appreciate you comparing her to those two people. but, really, i mean, once people hear that this lawsuit has now gone away and lisa jackson is coming out and saying she is a compassionate person. why does paula deen have to go

away? why can't she go back on the food network with her sons and maybe the food network would give her her shows back, et cetera. >> she said words that we he's still nowhere to be found. it's not -- for some reason in this country, sleep with whoever you want outside your marriage, we'll get over that a lot quicker than we will a self-defined racist. >> paul, paul, thank you very much. >> nice being with you. >> thank you. here's what's new in the next hour -- pressure on the president to speak out on the oklahoma thrill kill. >> i think it would be a nice gesture. >> is the case as explosive as trayvon martin? also, san diego's mayor goes down fighting. >> i started my political career facing lynch mobs, and i think

we have just faced one here in san diego. >> his message to the women he offended -- he was just trying to establish personal relationships. and see you later, sit nec . citronella. the next weapon against mosquitoes might be this drone. s

tiger woods gave the world quite a show at the barclay's despite collapsing in pain at one point. he gutted it out all day and almost forced a playoff. we have the "bleacher report." good morning. good morning. tiger was battling back spasms yesterday as he tried to chase down adam scott in the final round. tiger in bad shape on hole 13. right after his second shot, dropped to his knees in pain. the ball would go in the water, ends up with the bogey. tiger, though, would rally with birdies on 16 and 17. on 18 he needed to make this putt to force the playoff, but it's going to come up just short. tiger finishes tied for second. he'd have to watch his former caddy, steve williams, celebrate with adam scott as scott wins the tournament. california and japan squaring off yesterday in the championship game of the little league world series. california with the tying runner on first in the final inning. japan going to turn a great double play hare to end the

game. they -- play here to end the game. they won the third world series title in the past four years. trending on bleach bleacherreport.com, a student was offered to make a shot to win free tuition. he had three chances but only needed one. the crowd goes nuts. the tuition paid by a group of colorado state head coaches. congratulations to him. milwaukee bucks' center larry sanders got some sweet new toots that he posted pictures of -- tattoos that he posted pictures of over the weekend. this is one. you got to tell me what's wrong with it. >> where is? i can't see it. >> the picture -- >> wait for it. >> here we go. >> oh, doesn't he know i before e except after c. >> you learn that early in grade school. apparently he nor his tattoo artist caught the mistake.

"receive" misspelled. a costly and painful mistake. the painful part of the story is he didn't realize it until the comment showed up on facebook, hey, larry, that's misspelled. he's like, uh-oh. >> i think that's a good sign that america can still spell. a lot of people blame twitter for the lack of skill in spelling. that's not true. >> he just got a new $44 million contract. he's going to be able to pay to have it redone. >> thank you. next hour of "newsroom" after the break. an airline has planes... and people. and the planes can seem the same so, it comes down to the people. because, bad weather the price of oil those are every airlines reality.

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happening now in the newsroom, firestorm at yosemite national park. >> it was cooking. it was moving fast. >> an american treasure threa n threatened minute by minute. plus -- i started my political career facing lynch mobs, and i think we have just faced one here in san diego. >> san diego's mayor in denial until the bitter end. he resigns this friday, but will that be enough for his accusers? good-bye, gpa, hello college exit exam. companies now say they want a better way to see how graduates measure up. plus -- ♪ >> miley cyrus ain't hannah montana anymore. nude colored underwear with robin thicke. what just happened? the second hour of "newsroom" starts now.

good morning. thank you very much for being with me. i'm carol costello. yosemite on fire. san francisco on alert. a 144,000-acre wildfire is threatening yosemite national park and communities surrounding it. fire has burned to the northwest section of the park, a remote wilderness area. it's also raising concerns for one of the nation's largest cities. san francisco's main water supply is in the path of that monster fire. cnn's nick valencia is in groveland, california, with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, carol. we're just outside of groveland just near yosemite national park where the fire is raging on the western edge, still away from the heavily visited areas. anybody who's been to the iconic park, you mate know what i'm talking -- you might know what i'm talking about. this part here is where the flames did damage. it scorched the ends of these

leaves. and you want to pan around here and take a look. this goes back hundreds and hundreds of yards. flames going up 30, 40 feet up in the air. part of what's making so difficult for firefighters to get a handle on this is the dry conditions. extremely dry conditions. if you just take a look at this ground, it could have been much worse. you pull the layers back and see dirt. you see brown dirt. on the edge, it's crispier. if this burned through hotter, it would have been charred completely to the ground. but, as i mentioned, it's been difficult for firefighters to get a handle on this. just in the days that we've been here, the fire has grown more than 20,000 acres. officials telling us it's just % contained. carol? >> such dramatic pictures you're showing us. tell us about san francisco's water supply. why is there fear that the fire might contaminate it. >> reporter: this is an

interesting point to give context to our viewers. san francisco gets 85% of its municipal power and water from this area, just near where i'm standing. two hirydroelectric enrators ha been shut down. san francisco is famous for its pure water. officials are concerned that some of the ash from the smoke in this area, not sure if you can tell how smoky it is here, but they're concerned that the ash could get into the water supply. right now, though, still under a state of emergency. the california governor, jerry brown, a few days ago declared a state of emergency for the county and the city because it's very important this part of the state, it's very important to san francisco which is more than 200 miles away. that gives you a scope of how impactful this fire has been for the northern part of the state. carol? >> nick valencia reporting live. fire crews face bone-dry conditions in northern california. parts of southern california have been under water. streets were transformed into rivers in the palm springs area

after weekend thunderstorms dumped heavy rain. high winds brought down dozens of power poles in eastern riverside county. knocking out electricity to more than 300 homes and businesses. flash floods shocked motorists, too. the driver of this car getting stuck in the high water and relying on fire crews to get it out so the driver could get out safely. there you see it. police closed several intersections in the town of la quinta after downpours left the streets covered in several feet of water. as the storm waters passed, the waters did recede. jennifer delgado is in the weather center with more. good morning. good morning, carol. you saw the rain coming down through palm springs. unfortunately, we can't k get it where it's desperately needed, we're talking about yosemite where the fires are burning. rain moving through southern california as well as into regions like nevada. this is all monsoonal moisture. it's also leftover moisture from a tropical storm that we had

last week. unfortunately, none of that is going to make its way into northern parts of california. right now we're dealing with flood warnings in place. anywhere you're seeing in green. that means we'll be looking at the potential for areas to have flash flooding especially areas still recovering from previous fires like what they're battling in yosemite. as we go through the next 24 to 48 hours, this is where we're going to have the heaviest rainfall. in locations including parts of las vegas, we are talking one to three inches of rainfall. unfortunately, none of that making it in to northern california where we desperately need the relief. carol? just a bad situation across parts of the southwest. >> jennifer, thank you very much. also this morning, a startling new outburst of violence in syria. concerns that it could nudge the united states ever closer to military action. happened minutes after this team of united nations inspectors headed to the site of last week's suspected chemical weapons attack. as the inspectors drew closer, sniper fire riddled one of their vehicles. the attack coming as the united

states scrambles four more ships to the right wing and waits for confirm -- to the region and waits for confirmation that syria crossed president obama's so-called red line. our senior international court, nick robertson, joins us from amman, jordan, where military leaders from the united states and its allies will meet to talk options. tell us more, nick. >> reporter: well, they're coming here over the next day or so amid a lot of secrecy, precisely where's the meeting, how long will it last. we're told not to expect a press conference afterwards. the united states, great britain, france, italy, germany, qatar, saudi arabia, turkey, all sending military chiefs here. we're told they're going to discuss the regional situation and the crisis inside syria. but for jordan, this is a major concern. this huge escalation, the conflict, the chemical attack just over its border. and jordan here not the stablest of nations right now, concerned that if this country is seen as

somehow getting directly involved in the fight, being a place where intervention is planned or being used for some kind of intervention, then there could be strikes back here. jordan really trying to downplay this meeting out of concerns for its own security. but no doubt a response to that chemical, alleged chemical attack, is going to be the table for debate, carol. >> what options, you know, from a united states standpoint, are completely off the table? >> reporter: well, it certainly seems that any sort of large-scale ground intervention would be off the table. the saudis i'm told would love to put together a large coalition of international forces, 50,000 people. i've been told they say they're not getting any traction on that. certainly on the ground, you do have u.s. forces training with jordanian forces right now. potentially special forces trained in chemical warfare alongside u.s. special forces

alongside jordanian special forces, potentially could sneak across the border. has that been ruled out, we don't know. the four warships brought into the region carrying cruise missiles, that's still potentially in the mix. when you look at that, if you strike chemical weapons' sites with large missiles, are you going to expose toxins on a civilian population? so potentially that could be ruled out for that reason. at the moment, though, we're not hearing that there is going to be some sort of intervention indeed. if you sort of read the mood music, it's perhaps steering away that from at the moment. >> nic robertson, thank you. a second teenager has been arrested in the beating death of a world war ii veteran. the 16-year-old was taken into custody this morning on charges of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery. last week, 88-year-old delbert belton was killed while waiting

for a ride in spokane, washington. police think the attack was a botched robbery and not racially motivated. jodie arias will be back in a phoenix courtroom where a judge is to conduct the sentencing. she was convicted in the murder of her boyfriend travis alexander. a second jury must decide her fate. donald trump fasds faces a $40 million lawsuit or his university. the attorney general accuses trump of fraud saying he used bait-and-switch tactics to get thousands of dollars out of students. trump says trump university has a 98% approval rating. trump's attorney says the lawsuit is nothing more than a cheap publicity stunt. remember studying for the dreaded s.a.t. to get into college? if you're ready to graduate, your test-taking days may not be over. next spring, 200 college across the country plan to launch a new

test for students nearing graduation. the test is designed to help employers determine a student's real value in the workplace. cnn's alison kosik joins us thrive discuss this. so explain this. >> reporter: yeah, this is interesting. you're going to love this part, carol. many employers really don't trust the grades that students are presenting once they graduate college. that must feel good for the parents who are spending tens of thousands of dollars on their education. this is a way for universities to try to benefit their students, to give them a new tool to go out and market themselves when they're trying to find a job. what this is called is the collegiate learning assessment. cla-plus for short. the idea is to give a better, broader picture of a student's skills beyond just what their gpa is. since many employers think grades can be misleading, this could be helpful. and like the s.a.t., it's scored on a 1,600-point scale since everyone is familiar with that. it assesses things like critical

thinking and reasoning, literacy, writing, and communication. here's one example for you. there's an executive at an architectural company. he tells the "wall street journal" that even students who come out with good grades from top schools, they may not be able to communicate well. something masked by the good grade. what this essentially does, it helps employers better identify skills that could be hidden if you're justlooking at that gpa alone. carol? >> another test. >> so much fun. >> yeah, i loved taking tests. not! >> me, too. >> yeah. alison kosik, thank you. still to come, more on miley cyrus who twerked her way into controversy with her barely there outfit. and let's, how shall we put it -- her over-the-top performance at the mtv music video awards.

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checking our top stories at 15 minutes past the hour, today

a military jury begins the sentencing phase for u.s. army major nidal hasan. he could face death for the 2009 massacre at ft. hood, texas. hasan, who represented himself, admitted in court that he did indeed kill the 13 people and wounded 32 others at ft. hood. the beginning of a new life for 11-year-old sarah murnaghan. her second lung transplant appears to be a success. she is breathing without an oxygen machine. her case inspired new national policy. the under-12 rule gives children priority when lungs on adult transplant lists become available. for the second weekend in a row, the butler won -- "the butler" won at the box office. earnings for the civil rights drama have doubled the costs to make it. it was inspired by the real-life african-american man who served eight presidents in the white house. the issue of violence, kids, and video games back front and

center this morning after a deadly shooting involving an 8-year-old boy in louisiana. police say he killed his 87-year-old caregiver with the woman's own gun. cnn has more. >> reporter: a neighborhood is stunned after investigators say an 8-year-old shot and killed his 87-year-old caregiver, maurice mothers. >> a shock to me because everyone's been peaceful. >> reporter: the little boy told deputies it was an accident. in a statement to the media, the sheriff's department said they believed he intentionally shot mrs. smothers in the back of the head as she sat in her living room watching television. police say the boy pulled the trigger minutes after playing the very popular and very violent video game "grand theft auto 4," which awards points for sil killing people.

>> in this instance for the direct correlation of the video game playing during the shooting and even on the television when police arrived cannot be overlooked. can you conclusively say it caused him to shoot, we don't know. there are too many variables that work this a child's mind. >> reporter: video game makers say it is unfair and unjustified to blame the tragedy on a game. a statement sent to cnn by the makers of "grand theft a" this is about access to guns, not video games, and ascribing a connection to entertainment, a theory that's been disproven repeatedly by multiindependent studies, both minimizes this moment and sidesteps the real issues at hand." >> sarah si, where is this 8-year-old? >> police said they went ahead and let him go back to his parents' home. he's with his parents in louisiana. the law is pretty clear that a child under the age of 10 can't be held criminally responsible.

he could go through the juvenile courts. we're talking about an 8-year-old child. apparently he had a good and loving relationship with his caregiver. there's questions as to why, why, why has this happened. police say they don't know what the motive is but they knew he was playing a violent video game. the video game companies upset saying, wait a minute, he had access to a gun. why was an 8-year-old allowed to sit and play this game -- police said it was still on when they came in. there's questions surrounding this particular case. >> as for what police said about the little boy's motive, the police, it seemed to me, were careful to say he didn't have any hatred toward his caregiver, he's not a mean little boy. it's just a tragedy that happened. >> they do believe that he did it on purpose as opposed to what he initially told him was he did it on accident. so something must have led police to believe that this child duel this on purpose. did he understand the

consequences and did he understand right from wrong? that is the big question. and that's what the juvenile courts will certainly probably look at. >> does an 8-year-old know what a gun can do? i mean -- >> you'd think they would, you would think at 58 areas old. each case has to be -- at 8 years old. each case has to be taken individually. coming up, a stunning crime in oklahoma committed by three teenagers who claimed to be bored. some people want president obama to say more about this tragedy, but should he? too big. too small. too soft. too tasty. [ both laugh ] [ male announcer ] introducing progresso's new creamy alfredo soup. inspired by perfection. you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. zyrtec® love the air.

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but for all these symptoms, you also take kaopectate. kaopectate gives you soothing relief for all those symptoms. kaopectate. one and done. the show famous for its surprises did it again. just look at will smith and his family. take a look. here it is. will smith and his family. look at their faces. that is pure shock and awe all in reaction to miley cyrus' outrageous performance last night at the mtv music video awards. so what happened? if you haven't heard and if you live in a cave, the 20-year-old artist took the stage in a barely there outfit. she had these big dancing bears surrounding her. see? okay, a little weird. then things got really freaky. robin thicke joined her on stage for more twerking, stripping,

and touching than some viewers could handle. ♪ >> i know. don't you feel like smoking after that? cnn entertainment correspondent initial turner live in new york -- nichelle turner live in new york. >> you can't do that in front of me, carol. don't you feel like smoking? >> i'm watching last night and thinking to myself -- i mean, i was in shock because -- i've seen worse, frankly. but i was kind of like -- it was stupid. it was dumb. i wanted her to do something more clever. >> i kind of felt like showering after. not smoking but showering. and here's -- here's the thing. i felt a little creeped out by watching it if i'm honest. i don't know if that's our issues as a society because miley sire us is a grown woman. she's not hannah montana

anymore. but i still think of her in that vein right or wrong. i love to live a twerk-free life. i'm breaking the rules talking about this. when you look at miley and look at this performance with her and robin thicke, you can't see anything but a grown woman. you know. mtv vmas, their motto is expect the unexpected. we all should have went in prepped for whatever and prepped for seeing that. but it does seem like none of us were ready for hannah montana to die and mily to start twerking in front of our faces. >> i don't know. i mean, i understand what she was trying to do. i've never watched hannah montana so i can't have the image seared in my brain. i totally get it. but i just -- i don't know. she's a talented young woman, and does she really need to twerk a married guy on stage? >> look, twerking is all the rage these days. we have to take ourselves out of

that vein. miley is still young. so that is something that the young folks do when they're playing music and the hip-hop songs, twerking is a dance. a lot of kids do it these days. if she was trying to provoke a reaction, she is getting one today. she's getting one there all areas. actually the parents' television council has reacted. they just sent us a statement, if i can read a little of it. they said, "mtv has once again succeeded in marketing sexually charged messages to young children, using former child stars and condom commercials while falsely rating this program as appropriate for kids as young as 14. how is this image of former child star miley cyrus appropriate for 14-year-olds?" i think, you know, it's a good question. a lot of people don't always agree with what the parents' television council has to say, but in this case i think a lot of people this morning are asking that question. how is this appropriate for the younger kids. >> i'm going to ponder that all day. >> i'm just going to have that

twerk video in my head all day. i can't get it out. >> i know. i can't get her tong and her bears anyway -- >> the tongue was -- can we say, there were good moments of the show last night? i thought lady gaga was fantastic. she's just back from hip surgery. she gave a really great performance. i loved justin timberlake. i thought he was fantastic, although i needed more -- >> he was completely dressed in a suit and everything. >> and who would have thunk it. a good performance, and he had his clothes on. >> thank you very much, nischelle turner, always fun. still to come in the "newsroom," for the city of san diego, it's a time for heal. mayor bob filner says he will walk away following a sexual harassment scandal. is it enough for his accusers? nascar is about excitement. but tracking all the action and hearing everything from our marketing partners, the media and millions of fans on social media can be a challenge.

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conservatives who say president obama needs to address the horrific shooting in oklahoma that left an australian baseball player dead. plus -- >> i started my political career facing lynch mobs. and i think we have just faced one here in san diego. >> mayor bob filner says a lynch mob just forced him out of office. but will his resignation be enough for the 18 women who say the mayor sexually harassed them? we'll ask attorney gloria allred who's representing one of those victims. there's a new drone campaign underway, and it's against an unusual target. still to come, why drones could become the new weapon of choice against mosquitoes. "newsroom" starts now. good morning. i'm carol costello. thank you very much for being with me. checking our top stories at 30 minutes past the hour -- firefighters getting a better handle on that massive wildfire

in yosemite national park. that's the word from the u.s. forest service. a little comfort, but still such a long way to go. the fire has scorched an area about the size of chicago. it's only 7% contained. it's threatening a reservoir that supplies san francisco with water. the southwest could see more of this today. the threat is for moisture still lingering from the remnants of tropical storm ivo in the pacific. no one's looking forward to more flooding. all the rain could help alleviate wildfire conditions in some areas. the syrian government blames terrorists for a sniper attack on a vehicle carrying a team of u.n. inspectors this morning. no one was hurt. the team is in syria to investigate last week's alleged chemical weapons attack in a damascus suburb. the opposition says more than 1,300 people were killed. the syrian government has denied any involvement. a murder in oklahoma has sent shock waves through two continents. the victim was chris lane, a

23-year-old australian baseball player who was studying in the united states when he was gunned down while jogging. lane's killer killers, allegedl teenagers, who police say committed the crime out of boredom. the governor of oklahoma is joining fellow conservatives in asking president obama to condemn their actions. >> do you think the president should speak out on this, as well? particularly given his involvement in the trayvon martin case? >> i think it would be a nice gesture for him to do that and especially since the country of australia has expressed their sentiments as to the murder itself. >> over the weekend, the obama administration did issue a statement not to an american newspaper but to an australian newspaper called "the herald sun." the statement reads in part, "as the president has expressed on too many tragic occasions, there is an extra measure of evil in an act of violence that cuts a

young life short. the president and first lady's prayers are with the family in these trying times." to weigh in, john avalon and hln contributor and hiram college political science professor jason johnson. welcome to you both. >> good morning. >> good morning. jason, i'll start with you. why hasn't president obama come out and condemned the killing? you know, to american newspapers, to americans? >> because people get killed in this country all the time. that's sad to say, but it happens. we have gun violence issues. we have crime issues. i think a lot of the conservatives -- this is a disingenuous cry on their behalf to even compare this to trayvon martin. and so the president really doesn't have anything to say. it's a local law enforcement issue. it's not a national security issue. it's just a tragedy, and unfortunately we have to move on because this happens all too often in america. >> but john, the former prime minister of australia came out and had a warning for his fellow countrymen -- don't come to the united states. there's too much gun violence

here. >> yeah. yeah, and that is a mark on our nation when, you know, a talented young australian baseball player gets gunned down because the killers say they were bored. but boredom is not an endemic problem in the way that racism is, and it doesn't have the history of violence that racism does in the united states. look, that is part of the danger of the president of the united states weighing in on criminal cases. it is impossible for the president to weigh in on all of them. the white house gave a statement to the australian media. that's appropriate. if a u.s. journalist asks the president about it, i'm sure he will weigh in on this. it's not that he's not aware of it. the folks that were pushing this line saying where's the outrage, ignore a couple of big things. first, history in context. second, that the system worked in oklahoma. the perpetrators were arrested. justice will be done. the outrage over trayvon martin's killing was in part because police had not made an arrest. it was that inaction, procedural dysfunction, that created outrage. that's a distinction that makes a big difference. >> one of the accused killers, jason johnson, used social media to say something like, "i hate

98% of all white people." >> right. look, there are a -- they're a bunch of obnoxious kids. and kids say obnoxious and racist things. whether or not this is a racially motivated killing, it is still a problem. one of the kids involve sudden white. that doesn't mean it's not racially motivated. that would be the same as saying a black cop can'ts? ly stop and -- can't stop and frisk or be discriminatory toward a black person. but the bottom line is the president of the united states is not responsible for speaking about every single terrible case that happens. if he wants to connect it to gun-control issues, i think that would make sense. the fact little sociopaths took a young man's life, that happens all too often in america. he shouldn't speak it it every time. >> plus, john avalon, if conservatives said the zimmerman/martin had nothing to do with race, they're undermining their own argument in this case, aren't they? >> what they're doing is bear baiting.

they're trying to play the card to say that the president, there is a double standard and the president is, you know -- remember, in the minds of a lot of folks, the president gave his conversation about race in the wake of the trayvon martin verdict. they said the president was racist for discussing race in america. now that -- that is quite -- a pretty fascinating rhetorical two-step. but the reality is that the president will insights into being black in america and race that are unique from other presidents. now, every crime is horrific. every crime is a tragedy. and i think conservatives can make a case that the fact that the perpetrator saying he hates 98% of white people does not get the same level of outrage as if the -- a white murderer said he hates 98% of black people. that's a fair point we can have a smart conversation about. the card that's being played here is not about outrage, it's about playing the politics of racial resentment and attacking the president. let's be honest about that. for them it's about getting ratings and angering their base. >> tit for tat in other words.

john, jason, thank you very much. >> thank you. still to come in the "newsroom," he is quite possibly the most unpopular man in all of san diego. this week, mayor bob filner will walk away. it's what the 18 women who accused him of sexual harassment want. will it be enough? [ male announcer ] come to the lexus golden opportunity sales event and choose from one of five lexus hybrids that's right for you, including the lexus es and ct hybrids. ♪ this is the pursuit of perfection. ♪ every now and then i get a little bit tired ♪ ♪ of craving something that i can't have ♪ ♪ turn around barbara

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this coming friday, mayor bob filner says good-bye to san diego. that sexual harassment scandal proved to be too much. facing dwindling support and a recall effort against him, filner will indeed resign. he's not going quietly. in announcing his deal with the city, filner placed the blame for his downfall squarely on us, the media. >> those of you in the media and in politics who fed this

hysteria, i think need to look at what you helped create. because you have unleashed a monster. and i think we'll be paying for this affront to democracy for a long time. >> gloria allred is the attorney for filner's former press secretary who filed a lawsuit against him for sexual harassment. good morning, gloria. >> good morning, carol. >> let's address what mayor filner said on air. he blames the media for this and says the media will pay and democracy will pay. what do you say? >> well, friday, carol, was a day of reckoning for mayor filner. and it was a day of vindication for his many alleged victims. 18 of whom have come forward. and even though mayor filner still continues to live in his own reality and deny responsibility for the conduct which we allege in our lawsuit on behalf of our client, maureen mccormack jackson, it's still a good day. and the fact is, he has done what was absolutely needed. he resigned, and that is what is

most important. you know, carol, the mayor in his resignation speech, he took credit for protecting seals during his term as mayor. unfortunately, he didn't give as much protection to the women who came into contact with him as he gave to the seals. i mean, women were a risk when they were near the mayor. and so now i think that the city should focus its energy and focus its attention on resolving my client's claims against the city of san diego and the mayor so that can it move on. >> so what might that entail? how can they settle? >> well, we are still in an ongoing mediation with former federal judge, judge irving. and he is still presiding over this matter as a madeiator. so it's still possible. if not, then we will proceed to vigorously litigate as we have for 37 years, litigated sexual harassment cases successfully. and i might add -- >> what kind of damages --

>> the mediation which resulted in the mayor's resignation was a mediation of our lawsuit against the mayor and the city. and if irene hadn't come forward, if we had not filed the lawsuit on her behalf, i think it's fair to say that instead of resigning on friday, that the mayor would still be engaging in the same despicable sexually harassing, sexually inappropriate conduct which led irene and 17 other women to come forward to complain. >> well, two questions. what kind of damages are these women expecting? and two, the taxpayers will probably have to pay out those damages if those lawsuits are successful. is that right? >> well, we're seeking damages according to proof at trial. we never say exactly the number because that will depend on what we're able to prove at trial because damages continue for her. but you know, the point is that the cost of the wrong, the cost of sexual harassment should never be wborne by the victim.

should be borne by the wrongdoer. in that case, it's the mayor is the one who should bear the cost of the wrongdoing. also in california, an employer, in this case that's the city of san diego, is strictly liable for any sexual harassment that exists in its workplace. >> all right. attorney gloria allred, thank you very much for joining us this morning. >> thank you, carol. bye-e. >> you're welcome. still to come, feeding the homeless and the city coffers. why our local government is demanding a costly permit for this kind of charity. the kyocera torque lets you hear and be heard even in stupid loud places. to prove it, we set up our call center right here... [ chirp ] all good? [ chirp ] getty up. call me. seriously, this is really happening! [ cellphone rings ] hello? it's a giant helicopter ma'am. [ male announcer ] get it done [ chirp ]

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read and consider it carefully before investing. risk includes possible loss of principal. checking top stories -- an american airlines plane forced to make an emergency landing after one of its engines stopped working after takeoff. officials say flight 1111 was heading from dallas -- heading to dallas from charlotte, north carolina, when it diverted to little rock, arkansas. 135 people were on board. the plane did land safely. no one was hurt. mechanics are investigating exactly what caused that engine to malfunction. back to school today for chicago public schools. 30,000 students, mostly minorities, are going to different schools. the board of education closed nearly 50 schools to help pay down a $1 billion deficit. the district says it plans to invest more money in its teach-for-america program and charter schools. scientists are designing a

bigger, better version of the hubble space telescope. according to space.com, the new giant magellan telescope will be ten times sharper than the hubble. it won't come cheap. the new telescope is expected to cost a staggering $700 million and be up and running in northern chile by 2022. and you hear that charity nourishes the soul. in raleigh, north carolina, it may drain the collection plate. the city says if you want to feed the homeless, you'd better cough up big bucks for a permit. cnn's ashley banfield with the legal view this morning. good morning. hi, happy monday to you. this is a bit of a weird one, right? i mean, feeding the homeless, but you have to pay to get a permit? this is exactly the problem. this group has been doing it for six years. they showed up on saturday with, i don't know, 100 sausage biscuits and gallons of coffee. guess who else showed up -- the coppers. they said if you keep doing this we're going to not just ticket or fine you, we're going to

arrest you. >> oh! >> carol, i can hear you. i think a lot of people were amazed by this. you have to have a permit to do. it they didn't have the permit. is this a moral outrage or legal outrage? we'll tell you why the city has a pretty good case, surprising to hear that, right? >> well afternoon -- i don't know if you heard what happened in columbia, south carolina. >> no, what? >> state legislators there say no more homeless people in downtown. they're going to ship them out, no more. >> that's what rudy giuliani did, as well. a lot of people applauded it. people saying there are all sorts of domino effects that maybe people don't think of aside from this very magnanimous charity effort. we'll talk about those sides and why they are in the news. >> thank you very much. still to come, they're stealthy, they fly high. they account soon be used against mosquitoes. why officials in florida say

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if you've spent any time outside this summer, you know mosquito season is far from over. if you're sick of itchy, annoying mosquito bites, we've got news. officials in south florida are

planning to test a new drone -- yes, a drone to target those pesky mosquitoes. chad is here to tell us exactly how this will work. >> i wish it was some kind of sexy story where it's going to be flying around with a dragnet, with the zapper below it. but what this thing's doing, these things will fly over the keys. 95% of the florida keys are covered in either mangroves, swamp, and not populated by people. a lot of the keys, i know you see it as you drive down overseas highway, building after building. away there that, away from the highway, there's a lot of mangrove swamps. some areas, the swamps are okay because it's saltwater, but it's the fresh water they're looking for. they will even look for old tires laying around. you know how water can lay inside a tire. that's a breeding ground. they have so many mosquitoes near this this year that they'll fly this around looking for pools of water and trying to target the pools of water with an insecticide later on. >> the drones are actually going to drop the insecticide -- >> no, the drones aren't --

they're not doing anything except flying around. if you go toward the blue hole. if you walk to the west of the blue hole, you will see where army corps or somebody, who it was, dug these huge gouges into the limestone go to see get the water to run out. well, that's not working so good anymore. it's still stagnant. and there's little fish, too, that eat the larvae. you have to do what you can do. >> a good idea. better use of drones -- >> just don't put deet on your kids. >> thank you. still to come, a 12-year-old boy picks up the phone and dials for help when burglars break in. >> 911. what is your emergency? hello? >> someone's trying to break into my house. >> he's not the only child who helped foil a burglar. the other case more than 1,000 miles away. [ female announcer ] are you sensitive to dairy? then you'll love lactose-free lactaid® it's 100% real milk that's easy to digest

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wikileaks' founder julian assange is back in the spotlight. this time, well, it's not for leaking u.s. intelligence secrets. ♪ >> hey, the mullet surprised us, too. that song anears a spoof video on youtube to promote his australian senate campaign. in case you missed it, he's

lip-synching to john farnham's hit. it includes things like "we've got to make things leak so we can get bold e"and "we're all wiretapped now. one boy. one lives in florida, the other in texas. one hid in a closet, the other in a bathroom. the one thing in common -- picking up the phone to call 911 when burglars broke into their homes. mikayla ferrara has the story. 911, what is your emergency? >> there's somebody in our house -- >> reporter: huddled inside a bathroom, this terrified 13-year-old girl manages to stay calm while two burglars ransack her home in tamarack, florida. >> are you in the home by yourself? >> yes. no, i'm with my sister. hurry up. >> listen to me, they're on their way, okay? >> reporter: she hid with her 11-year-old sister while the burglars made off with a laptop and cell phone. shortly after they fled, she was relieved to her her father's

voice. -- it hear her father's voice. >> yes. my dad just came home. >> i'm very proud of them both. gianna was super for thinking real quick. >> i didn't feel brave. i felt scared because what if they like busted down the door. >> reporter: gianna ultimately gave the dispatcher vital information that led to the arrest two of suspects. and listen to this chilling 911 call from a brave 12-year-old boy in port arthur, texas. also home alone during a break-in. >> somebody is trying to break in to my house. they just broke the window. >> reporter: you can hear the fear in his voice as he hides terrified in a closet. >> i'm going to have to whisper because i think they're coming in. >> stay. there the officers, i think they're going to catch the guy, okay? >> reporter: when officers arrived, they saw two men running out of the house and into the woods. deion's quick thinking helped police arrest the pair of burglars. >> i think actually the only

thing i could think of. >> you're a very, very smart young man. you did a good thing. >> mikayla pereira, cnn, new york. >> he did indeed. thank you for joining me today. i'm carol kos telea. "legal view" with ashleigh banfield starts now. an 87-year-old grandmother shot and killed. the gunman, an 8-year-old boy. police say he pulled the trigger right after playing a shoot 'em up video game. also this hour, legal trouble for donald trump. new york's attorney general suing that billionaire for $40 million. trump says it's nothing but extortion. both men pleading their case to cnn. you'll hear it. and since when is it a crime to feed the homeless? in a city park? since right now. one church group in north carolina is fighting back. hello,